Safety attachment for washing machines



H. F. KUHNS. SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR WASHING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAY I6, 1921.

1,430,237. Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

jam/m Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

rarest HOWARD J3. KUHNS, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR WASHING MACHINES.

Application filed. May 16,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD F. KUHNs, a citizen of the United .States, residing at Allentown, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Safety Attachment for \Vashing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a safety attachment designed primarily for use in connection. with power driven washing machines.

It is a well known fact that where a machine for washing clothes is propelled by an electric motor injury sometimes results to the user because of inability to promptly stop the motor. For example the hair will sometimes become caught in the wringer or in one of the bearings of the machine and cause laceration of the scalp before assistance can be had.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a conveniently located pedal which can be easily depressed by the user so as to promptly cut off the power in an emergency.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in 'the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion'of a washing machine mechanism showing combined therewith a safety attachment such as constitutes the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on line 22, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevation of a slightly modified structure.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, A designates a portion of a washing machine structure such as shown, for X- ample, in Patent No. 1,133,728 issued to me on March 30, 1915, although it is to be understood that the attachment forming the subject matter of this invention can be applied to any electrically driven washing machine. B designatesan electric motor for 1921. Serial No. 469,899.

transmitting motion to the mechanism of the washing machine through a belt C or the like. A. pull switch 1 has been provided and is arranged in the circuit to the motor, this switch being of the ordinary structure utilizing a chain or cord 9. which when pulled successively will successively open or close a circuit. A foot lever 3 is pivotally mounted at a convenient point in the washing machine structure and is yieldingly supported by a spring 4. A foot pedal 5 is provided at the free end of the lever and extending from this lever adjacent the fulcrum thereof is an arm 6 having a backwardly extending fork 7 adapted to straddle the chain or cord 9. so that the ball or knob 8 at the free end of the chain or cord will be positioned under the fork.

l Vith the arrangement des ribed it will be obvious that by pressingon the foot pedal the chain or cord 2 will be pulled so as to turn on the current to the motor, thus causing the machine to operate. In case of an emergency another downward pressure on the pedal 5 will result in another pull upon the chain or cord 2 and the shutting off of the current to the motor.

Instead of utilizing a lever such as shown at 3 a bell crank 9 can be used, one arm of the bell crank forming a pedal 10 while the other arm can have a spring 11 attached to it. The chain or cord 12 extending from the switch .13 can be elongated so as to pass under a guide sheave 1.4: and to the bell crank. at will be obvious that this structure will operate in the same manner as that heretofore described.

What is claimed is In a device of the class described, a sup porting structure, a standard rising from said structure, a lever fulcrumed at one end on said standard, a coiled spring suspending the free end of said lever from said structure, an arm extending laterally and upwardly from said lever near its fulcrum and having right angular bifurcations at its free end extending toward said standard and adapted to straddle a switch pull chain.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD F. KUHNS.

lVitnesses Tnos. W. FREY, JESSIE M. STRAUB. 

